Jesus: Fulfilment

Colossians 1, 15 to 23.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

For by him all things are created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible,

whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities.

All things were created by him and for him.

He is before all things and in him all things hold together.

And he is the head of the body, the church.

He is the beginning and the firstborn from among dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him and through him to reconcile to himself all things,

whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood shed on the cross.

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.

But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you wholly in his sight,

without blemish and free from accusation.

If you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held in the gospel,

this is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven,

and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

Well, good evening to you all.

And good evening to you all.

Oh, lovely. Thank you.

Because it would be an exceptionally lonely place to be up here and nobody out there.

Let's look at God's word here.

Now, in the 1970s, Andrew Richardson, a Liverpool postal worker,

declared his semi-detached flat to be the independent nation of Granbya.

After a while, however, Richardson lost interest and the department reverted back to England by default.

In 1964, Leicester, I think that's how you say that name.

How do I say it?

Leicester.

Yes. Okay.

Hemingway, the little brother of author Ernest Hemingway,

built an eight-by-30-foot floating bamboo platform,

seven miles off the coast of Jamaica,

anchoring it to the ocean floor with a Ford engine block.

I can stand on the platform, walk around on it and salute the flag,

all of which I do periodically, he told the reporters.

There are no taxes here,

because taxes are for people not smart enough to start their own countries.

In time, part of his country was destroyed by fishermen in search of scrap wood,

and the rest sank in a storm.

In 1969, in Australia, in Western Australia,

the wheat quota board limited the amount of wheat he could grow,

so Leonard George Casely took his 18,500-acre farm

and seceded from Australia to form his own country.

The Principality of Hutt River, it was called.

He designed his own national flag and motto,

printed his own money and set up his own parliament.

Australia refused to recognise his sovereignty,

so in 1977, he declared war.

Nothing came of it.

What a surprise.

He backed down two days later and re-established diplomatic relations.

Casely claims he pays no Australian taxes,

but he admits he makes payments to the Australian government

as an international courtesy.

You can still actually visit that place.

Tourism.

People go to it.

Kingdoms come and kingdoms go.

Even the most mighty of nations don't last forever,

except for the kingdom of God

that we have been talking about over the last few weeks.

In this series, we've been saying that the kingdom of God

is God's people in God's place under God's rule.

And today, we focus on Jesus being the fulfilment

of all of what the Old Testament has been saying to us.

We read in Matthew 1,

and some might wonder at the importance of reading it,

but you and I both know that when we look at our own family tree,

there are stories that go along with absolutely every person in that tree.

Some may be more colourful than others,

but there is something important with every entry,

as is with the Matthew 1.

The genealogy we were looking at today in Matthew

is very important for us to understand the kingdom of God.

It's important because we see Jesus' lineage was no accident.

He was born to fulfil a certain plan

that we have been reading and hearing about over these last weeks.

It's a specific plan in a specific time,

in a specific place from a specific line of people.

It had to be this way because God had promised

that Jesus would be born a ruler,

not just an ordinary ruler,

but King of kings, Lord of lords.

God planned this ruler through promise.

God not only makes his promises,

but he's faithful and he keeps his promises.

And so we've seen over the weeks

that God had a couple of specific promises

that stand out above the rest.

Promises made to Abraham and promises made to David.

Covenants, we call them.

Now Matthew lists them in the first verse.

He lists it with Jesus is the son of David first

before he says son of Abraham.

Matthew does that because his purpose in writing his gospel

was to show how Jesus is the Messiah,

that he's the king of the Jews.

And that's what the Davidic covenant was all about.

It was about establishing the throne.

In Chronicles chapter 1 verse 17,

1 Chronicles chapter 17,

1 Chronicles 17 · chapter mention

which if you want to look up, but I will read.

When your days are over and you go to be with your fathers,

I will raise up your offspring to succeed you.

One of your own sons,

and I will establish his kingdom.

He is the one who will build a house for me,

and I will establish his throne forever.

I will be his father and he will be my son.

I will never take my love away from him

as I took away from your predecessor.

I will set him over my house and my kingdom forever.

His throne will be established forever.

God is reaffirming his promise of the land to Israel,

and he promises David an eternal throne.

By saying that Jesus is the son of David,

Matthew is saying that he is the fulfillment

of God's prophecy to David.

Jesus is the one whose throne is established forevermore.

He is the seed of David that God would raise up

and establish his kingdom.

Now, Jesus was the literal fulfillment

of God's promise to David,

and Jesus also fulfilled the Abrahamic covenant,

the promise made to Abraham.

Not only did Jesus fulfill God's promise for a throne,

but he also fulfilled God's promise for a seed.

Remember, we have read in earlier weeks

in Genesis chapter 12,

Genesis 12 · chapter mention

God told Abraham that through his lineage,

all the earth would be blessed.

It didn't happen through Isaac or Jacob.

It didn't happen through Judah, David or Solomon.

The blessing happened through Jesus.

Galatians chapter 3 says,

Galatians 3 · chapter mention

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law

by becoming a curse for us.

For it is written,

cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.

He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham

might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus,

so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

Not only did God plan for a ruler through promise,

he planned for a ruler through people.

Look at the list we read earlier.

As I look at the list in Matthew 1,

the first thing I notice is that it isn't a list

that I would have chosen.

If I was to choose a lineage for the Son of God,

God in the flesh,

I would have chosen better people than these ones,

if I knew them.

Abraham was a liar.

Isaac learned from his dad

and was a liar as well.

Jacob was a cheat and a swindler.

While Joseph was resisting temptation

and living a blessed and holy life in Egypt,

Judah was spending time with his daughter-in-law, Tamar,

who was disguised as a prostitute

and he got her pregnant,

so their son was illegitimate.

Do you see a pattern sort of happening here?

Of course not all of them were bad.

Boaz was honourable,

although he did marry a Moabite woman

that was forbidden for him to marry.

Some of the kings were good.

David was a man after God's own heart,

but he was a murderer

and he had committed adultery with Bathsheba,

who, by the way, is also in Jesus' lineage.

No, what this list shows is God's goodness and God's mercy.

Aren't you glad that God does not choose the best and the brightest?

He chooses to work through the weak things of this world

that he might be shown to be strong.

In God's plan for a ruler through people,

he used the royal line of David

to give Jesus legal claim to the throne.

So we have God's rule in Jesus.

Well, what about God's place?

Last week, Steve preached about the prophet Ezekiel

and the promise from God.

All of what he knew about God

was attached to the promised land,

Israel, Jerusalem and the temple.

The temple was the centre of God's activity with his people.

The temple was God's dwelling place.

And yet it was no more.

It was destroyed.

But without the land, Jerusalem and a temple,

what is left?

Steve had asked,

has God abandoned his people?

Has his promises to Abraham and David failed?

What does it now mean to be the people of God?

Well, we've already seen that God has fulfilled his promise

through Abraham and David.

And now in the New Testament,

we can see that the new temple

has already come into existence

for it is none other than Jesus Christ himself.

John describes it in John 1, 14.

The word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.

That literal translation is,

he tabernacled among us.

In other words,

John saw Jesus as resembling the tabernacle in the wilderness.

We don't need a temple anymore

because Jesus himself is dwelling with us.

Jesus is God dwelling with us.

We continue to see that God's place is directly linked to Jesus

in the words of the kingdom.

Look at Matthew chapter 3,

Matthew 3 · chapter mention

the first couple of verses,

where John is talking about Jesus.

In those days,

John the Baptist came,

preaching in the desert of Judea

and saying,

repent for the kingdom of heaven is near.

Mark 1, verses 14 and 15 say,

Mark 1:14

after John was put into prison,

Jesus went into Galilee,

proclaiming the good news of God.

The kingdom of God is near.

Repent and believe the good news.

Mark 11,

as part of the triumphal entry into Jerusalem,

we hear the people shout,

Hosanna,

blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David.

And in Colossians 1, 13,

we read,

for he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness

and brought us into the kingdom of the son he loves,

in whom we have redemption,

the forgiveness of sins.

The kingdom we see in scripture

is also referred to as a mustard seed,

a fine pearl.

Steve mentioned before,

a treasure hidden in a field,

a net of fish.

All of them are directly connected to Jesus.

For it is Jesus who is the treasure.

And without the treasure,

we are lost for all eternity.

Hence,

we have,

as our statement for this church,

that we want to treasure Jesus.

Without Jesus,

we have nothing.

What these verses show

is that Jesus is the head of the new race.

All who are united with him

are members of that race.

That is,

whoever is in Christ

is a new creation

and Christ is the head.

So we have a people of God,

those who are in Christ.

And we have one who is under God's rule,

that is Jesus Christ.

So how is Jesus the ruler?

Let's read Colossians,

that first part of the Colossians reading again.

He is the image of the invisible God,

the firstborn over all creation.

For by him,

all things were created,

things in heaven and on earth,

visible and invisible,

whether thrones or powers

or rulers or authorities,

all things were created

by him and for him.

He is before all things

and in him,

all things hold together.

And he is the head of the body,

the church.

He is the beginning

and the firstborn

from among the dead

so that in everything,

he might have the supremacy.

For God was pleased

to have all his fullness

dwell in him

and through him

to reconcile himself

all things,

whether things on earth

or things in heaven,

by making peace

through his blood

shed on the cross.

The gospel is saying,

he, sorry,

he is the one

who brings salvation

to humankind.

Everything is in Jesus.

He holds it all together.

It is in God's fullness

in him,

he then brings peace.

Following on in verse 21,

once you were alienated

from God

and were enemies

in your minds

because of your evil behaviour,

but now he has reconciled you

by Christ's physical body

through death

to present you

wholly in his sight

without blemish

and free from accusation.

If you continue

in your faith

established and firm,

not moved

from the hope

held out in the gospel.

This is the gospel

that you have heard

that has been proclaimed

to every creature

under heaven

and of which I,

Paul,

have become a servant.

The gospel is saying

that what man

cannot do for salvation,

this God

has done

on our behalf

in the person

of Jesus Christ.

We know from history

that man

has failed

time and time

and time again

to present a life

to God

that is perfect

and acceptable.

And here,

we see Jesus

do this for us.

He's the one

who is perfect

and acceptable

on our behalf.

It is Jesus

who has perfectly

lived out

the holy law

of God

and its penalty

was perfectly

paid for us

in Jesus.

It is the living

and the dying

of Christ

for us

that is the basis

of our acceptance

with God.

It is Jesus Christ

who rules.

But did you pick up

that small word

if

in the verses

in Colossians?

It is Christ

who will present us

without blemish

and free from accusation

to almighty God

if.

If what?

If you continue

in your faith

established

and firm

not moved

from the hope

held out

in the gospel.

Well,

what does that

look like?

It is a life

trusting

a sovereign God.

Looking at our

core values

here at church

it's a life

of Christ

centred

Bible

saturation.

Why do we

keep harping

on about

this Christ

centred

Bible

saturation?

Because it is

there that

your life

will be

changed.

It is there

that we are

challenged

to live

a life

of servanthood.

It is

in

Christ

centred

Bible

saturation

that we

live a life

that is

seeking

God's

wisdom

and God's

discernment.

It's where

the result

is that

we are

challenged

to live

a life

seeking

for God

to change

us

to be

more like

Jesus.

To live

a life

of Christ

centred

Bible

saturation

means a

life

of humble

authenticity.

We don't

live

differently

with different

people.

We are

authentic

people of

God

in every

moment

of every

day.

It is

a life

where the

needs

of others

are far

more

important

to us

than our

own

needs.

It's a

life where

we're seeking

to know

God in a

closer and

more personal

way every

day of

our lives.

That we

are never

ever satisfied

with just

head knowledge

life.

It's a

life of

contentment

in Jesus

and Jesus

alone.

It's a life

that we do

not get if we

don't get our

own way in

family or

at our

uni or

our

workplace or

with our

friends or

we don't get

our own way

in our

ministry or

we don't get

our own way

in this

church.

That we

can humbly

seek to do

what is best

for other

people.

That we

are content

because we

know Jesus.

I would

actually

challenge you

to consider

what is it

that you

and God

are working

on at this

moment in

time.

What part

of your

character are

you working

on with

God?

Because if

you are not

working on

anything at

all, I

can actually

say to

you, you

might be

stalling in

your Christian

faith.

We need

to be

Christ

centred,

Bible

saturated

Christians and

doing that,

God is going

to be knocking

off the

rough edges

of us.

And so

there needs

to always

be something

that you

are working

with.

You and

God trying

to work

through and

are you

asking the

Lord to

help you

to be more

prayerful?

Are you

asking the

Lord to

deal with

your anger?

Are you

asking the

Lord to

help you

to be

more

sensitive

to another

person's

needs?

What is

it that

you and

God are

working on

at this

moment in

time?

That's a

question my

mentor would

be asking me

each time she

sees me.

What is it

that you and

God are

working on?

And that's a

question we

should be able

to ask each

other at

any time.

What is it

that you and

God are

working on

at this

moment for

you to

build godly

character or

for God to

be building

godly

character?

Next week

we look at

Jesus and

the great

fulfilment of

Jesus and

where Jesus

takes us.

And as

Jesus changes

our life through

the Holy Spirit

we actually have

the great hope

of glory,

the great hope

of heaven.

But don't be

tricked into

thinking it's

all about what

Jesus has done

in us.

It's about what

God has done

for us in

Jesus.

That is the

gospel.

And we get the

blessing of being

changed to be

Christ-like as we

go along.

Earlier on

Steve actually

mentioned movies

and he mentions

that he sees

the end and

speaks it

forth.

And Nat

is the one

who still

cries even

though she

knows the

end.

But in actual

fact for me

I actually can

see movies over

and over and

over again and

I forget what

the ending is.

My son Jason

who's not here

but Jason

says I get

the best value

out of hiring

movies than

any person

because I

can look at

it fresh all

the time and

it's new.

I never

sort of,

oh that's a

surprise.

I can do it

with books

also.

Vander will

tell me,

I'm not sure,

halfway through

the book I

think I've read

it.

And he'll say

yes you have.

You know sort

of.

But that's a

problem if you

do that with

Jesus.

You see

because I

can forget

the goodness

and the

greatness of

Jesus.

You might be

somebody who

sits in

Steve's camp

or Nat's

camp or in

my camp which

is another one

altogether.

But don't be

complacent with

Jesus.

Yes Jesus is

the answer.

We all know

that from Sunday

school and from

scripture.

Jesus is the

answer and you

sort of nearly

there most of

the time.

But don't be

complacent with

Jesus.

Jesus needs to

be changing

our lives.

I know that

most of us have

heard this

message over and

over again or

one similar.

But you need

to ask how

does this

message consistently

challenge the

way I think and

live out life.

None of us in

this building

absolutely none

of us have

finished the

race that we

are in.

So no one is

sitting on the

side.

We are all in

a race together.

I want you to

continue to run

the race and to

run it faithfully

with Jesus.

I want you to

know that the

kingdom of God

is here now but

is also your goal

later.

that way we

can be God's

people in God's

place under God's

rule.

thanks for saying

that

I can see you

as

people in

with

as

people in